Studio Monthly

March 12 2016

We've been so busy lately, and somehow it's already two weeks into March! Looking back on February, it was a fantastic, (mostly) country-filled month. We had a great group in from Toronto who stayed with us for a few days, had a young country artist come in to wrap up an album he's been recording in Nashville, and ended the month with TwoShine County. An artist that recorded their album with us in the summer came out to do a friends and family album release party, celebrating an album that Mike Bell called "quite possibly one of the most ambitious and successfully so works of epic musical art to come out of this city in years if not decades". We had Brock Mitchell of Deluxe Design Group take over Studio A and film a music video for a fantastic, high-energy song. Like always, we had lots of donut mill (we placed an emergency call to a group doing a radio show in Red Deer), met a lot of great people, and had way too much fun making music.

Spencer Cheyne

1. You're all musicians as well as engineers. Does being a musician help when you're behind the board? Definitely….you can relate to the musicians/artists and the song much better coming from that world.

2. February is the month of love. What's the best break up song/album? I feel like any answer other than “Adele” would be incorrect...

3. What would you say is the one most important things bands should do when they're tracking? Give an inspiring performance that makes the listener feel something

Josh Gwilliam

** Disclaimer: Josh forgot to answer my questions, and now he's off on a cruise to Jamaica. Instead of leaving him out, I decided to answer for him. - Meg

1. You're all musicians as well as engineers. Does being a musician help when you're behind the board? If Josh were to answer this question, he'd make a self-deprecating joke about being a bass player. He's also currently learning to drum, which is great, because the one thing OCL is really lacking is drummers. And snares.

2. February is the month of love. What's the best break up song/album? I think Josh would go with a classic, like End of the Road by Boys II Men.

3. What would you say is the one most important things bands should do when they're tracking? The most important thing a band can do when they're tracking at OCL is bring treats. Preferably donuts, but cake works too.

James Bundy

1. You're all musicians as well as engineers. Does being a musician help when you're behind the board? Absolutely! I think especially with session players - it's nice to be able to communicate with both extremely experienced musicians and those who might not speak all of the lingo. It can make the whole process more efficient if you're on the same page as everyone, no matter where their musical ability sits.

2. February is the month of love. What's the best break up song/album? Justin Timberlake - Cry Me A River, OBVIOUSLY.

3. What would you say is the one most important things bands should do when they're tracking? Make fun of the intern.

Brennan Kennedy

1. You're all musicians as well as engineers. Does being a musician help when you're behind the board? Yes it certainly helps in a big way. I find it enables me to communicate thoughts and ideas more easily with the musicians in the room. It also helps when tracking songs by being able to read charts or music. Having a working knowledge of song structure and various styles really helps with the creative process.

2. February is the month of love. What's the best break up song/album? "I Will Survive" by Gloria Gaynor. Hahaha.

3. What would you say is the one most important things bands should do when they're tracking? Definitely come in prepared and know your stuff backwards and forwards. Also make sure you practice with a click track. Another good thing is coming in with an open mind - sometimes change is a good thing, especially when you're working with some of the awesome and creative people we work with at OCL!